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| Case Study: Custom
Packaging |
Mercedes-Benz
Financial had given up on finding a custom chocolate package for their 25th anniversary
celebration . . . until they called Gayle’s Chocolates.
The Request
In Spring 2007, Mercedes-Benz Financial celebrated their
25th anniversary and they wanted a commemorative chocolate item to distribute both to their
employees and to the Mercedes-Benz dealers in the United States. They soon exhausted the
standard, canned solutions offered by other chocolate distributors and turned to us for a more
custom solution.
What We
Did
At first, MBF simply wanted a generic chocolate item with a Mercedes-Benz
vehicle image on it. But after some discussions, MBF realized they had an opportunity to be more
creative and more distinctive—and also to add the luxury flair that is a hallmark of the
Mercedes brand. Through a number of concept iterations, we developed the idea of creating a
unique molded chocolate using their 25th anniversary logo. We also suggested using images of
their product—classic Mercedes-Benz cars through the years—to reinforce the
anniversary and to express their longevity.
This turned out to be both simple and
complex. Development of a chocolate bar celebrating the anniversary was a delightful opportunity
and one we could readily fulfill. Once the client approved our design, the mold had to be custom
made—but that was easily fit into the timetable.
The real challenge was
selecting the appropriate cars to represent the organization, and then obtaining the appropriate
pictures for reproduction. Mercedes-Benz Financial changed their minds several times. Photos had
to be retouched. Some had to be located in company files in Germany and shipped here. In short,
it was logistically tricky.
There was also the issue of whether dealers and employees
should receive the same item. They were two different audiences. And, while all of this was
being debated by the clients, the deadline—manageable, but tight to begin with—was
fast approaching.
Ultimately, it all came together very nicely. Pictures, chocolates
and boxes were produced with time to spare. The elements of the larger dealer package were used
for a smaller employee package, saving money and creating two distinctive but related products.
Both were distributed on time and within budget. The clients at Mercedes-Benz Financial were
very pleased with the results of the project.
The
Moral of the Study
We’re pleased to provide you with the custom chocolate
items you want, but we’re also motivated to take it a step further and see if
there’s something even more appealing we can create—within your budget, of course. |
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| Case Study: Fulfillment |
The Merrill Lynch practice in Bloomfield Hills,
Michigan, wanted to recognize their high net worth clients on their birthdays with some upscale
gift, but couldn’t spend the time with purchasing, wrapping and fulfillment every month.
Gayle’s created a solution for them.
The
Request
In March of 2007, Merrill Lynch came to us looking for a way to recognize
its high-net-worth clients on their birthdays with something beyond the usual greeting card.
Merrill Lynch’s rationale was simple: clients entrusting hundreds of thousands, even
millions of dollars, to them deserve more than a standardized Hallmark-type greeting. We
couldn’t have agreed more.
What We Did
Once a budget was finalized, we developed a special Merrill-Lynch
birthday chocolate gift package. The package consisted of eight logo medallions, each with the
iconic Merrill Lynch bull on it, in dark and milk chocolate. A custom mold was created to
produce the logo medallion and the pieces were then placed in a silver box with a silver sleeve.
Each box was finished with a custom hang tag that had a printed birthday greeting from the
client’s Merrill Lynch representatives.
Once a month, Merrill Lynch e-mails an
Excel spreadsheet with that month’s recipients on it. Obviously, the security of these
lists is paramount and we take that very seriously. From the list, our shipping department
coordinates distribution to closely match the recipient’s birthday. We’ve also
accommodated special requests that sugar-free chocolates be sent to certain recipients as
needed.
Merrill Lynch reports that the program has been very successful, with a
number of glowing comments from their clients. The birthday program is continuing and
expanding—apparently, everyone likes those chocolates.
The Moral of the Study
When you need to send a card, send chocolate
instead—and let Gayle’s Chocolates do the packaging, fulfillment and delivery. |
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| Case Study: Logistics |
Momentum Worldwide wanted 260,000 custom chocolates to create
a buzz about their launch of the Buick Enclave for General
Motors’ Buick Division—and they needed them quickly. How did we handle the
challenge?
The Request
It was mid-summer
of 2007. Buick would soon be introducing its new SUV, the Enclave. To market the event, their
event management agency, Momentum Worldwide, asked us to produce 260,000 custom chocolate Buick
logos for delivery to Buick marketing teams around the country. Momentum needed the
chocolates in six weeks, and they needed to be shipped to thirty cities across the U. S.
What We Did
The
Buick logo is an intricate, tri-shield design. To reproduce it in chocolate with the level of
detail that would maintain the logo’s integrity requires a sophisticated, custom mold.
Such molds are complex and take mold-makers 6–8 weeks to create.
This is where
experience and connections pay off. We knew where to go and who to call—and got a
commitment promising the mold in an unheard of three weeks.
Yet, there was much more
beyond the mold to consider. We still had to address chocolate, packaging, assembly and
distribution. Buick wanted a distinctive chocolate color to match the color of their SUV. In
response, Gayle produced a unique mix of milk and dark chocolate that matched it perfectly and
was delicious as well.
While the mold was being made and the chocolate formulated, we
located an appropriate container: a clear plastic, hockey-puck-sized container hot-stamped with
the word “Enclave”. No single company, however, could deliver 260,000 of these
boxes, so we handed out the assignment to three different companies. We also ordered hand-
printed candy papers from Italy for the inside of the containers, and designed a custom packing
box to hold 25 of the individual chocolate containers.
It was now time for production
and package assembly. To ensure we met the deadline, we added a night shift to our production
process. Since we make our chocolates by hand, we trained our additional staff to meet the high
standards we set for our products—that meant all of our production staff had to be on
their toes all the time. They were. Our team never wavered, everything came together smoothly
and we finished the entire project three days ahead of schedule.
The Almost Sticky Part
That would be distribution. We routinely ship
huge quantities of items of all sizes and shapes around the world. But this was midsummer and we
had to ship the logos to staging areas in the nation’s 30 largest markets—in
100˚F temperatures; not the best environment for chocolate survival. Not a problem. We
cold-packed the chocolates, loaded them onto pallets and sent them on their merry way. The logos
went around the country and arrived in great edible shape—much to the delight of everyone
involved, and all within budget.
The Moral of the Study
Next time you need 260,000 custom logo chocolates,
come to Gayle’s Chocolates. We can handle it. Matter of fact, come to us even if
it’s just one logo. We can handle that, too.
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